Jan 7, 2014 White Elephant Exchange

Posted by Diane Ventura-Goodyear

on Jan 02, 2014

RULES
for White Elephant Exchange

When a player arrives at the meeting with his/her wrapped gift, the “host” places the gift in a designated area. The host prepares slips of paper with numbers equal to the total number of gifts. Each participant draws a number to determine the order of play.

Player #1 selects a wrapped gift, unwraps it and allows everyone to see it.

Player #2 takes the next turn. He/she selects a wrapped gift, and then chooses to take an opened gift--in this case Player #1’s gift--or open the selected wrapped gift.

If Player #2 takes Player #1’s gift, then Player #1 must open the wrapped gift selected by Player # 2. Now there are two opened gifts.

Player #3 takes the next turn—he/she selects a wrapped gift. This person can choose any opened gift--in this case there are two--or decide to open the wrapped gift. This procedure continues until all the players have had a turn.

A single round continues until a wrapped gift is selected and unwrapped.

When a gift is taken from a player, he/she either takes an already opened gift, or open the wrapped gift.

A player cannot immediately take back a gift that was just taken from him/her.

If a single gift has been “touched” by players three times (so the third person must keep it), it is out of play for that round only. Next round, it is in play again.

When all the gifts have been opened, player #1 gets the final option to take any eligible gift or keep what he/she has.